GWI and GGMC to collaborate in key areas

Dec 20, 2017 News

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) will be embarking on a partnership which will see the parties exchanging information and collaborating in different key areas.
GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West Charles, disclosed yesterday that both parties have indicated interest in establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the New Year.
He was at the time addressing GGMC and GWI staff in the boardroom at GWI’s Head Office on Vlissengen Road, when the company delivered a presentation to the GGMC staff on the reverse circulation drilling methodology.
This method is new to Guyana. It is currently being utilized by Dutch company, De Ruiter Groundwatertechneik to drill a new well at Sophia. The drilling company has already completed the drilling of wells at Diamond and Sparendaam.
The Managing Director said that it is important for GWI and GGMC to have a dynamic collaboration, particularly in the sharing of information.
“I think going forward I would want to see a dynamic sharing of knowledge and sharing of data and information between the two agencies to make our approaches easier,” he stated.
According to him, readily available data and information would also allow persons entering the respective fields to be at a better advantage than those before them.
Another possible area of collaboration highlighted by Dr. Van West-Charles was ensuring that students at educational institutions understand the career pathways which exist for them in the respective fields.
According to him, geology and water are areas which will require more local personnel with competencies to ensure that things are done the right way.

GWI’s chief, Dr. Richard Van West Charles, and other officials yesterday.

Laboratory testing is another possible area of collaboration highlighted by the Managing Director. Raising the diagnostic capability in Guyana by utilizing the collective resources can be examined. For instance, he alluded to the mercury present in gold mining and its impact on the rivers.
Dr. Van West-Charles said GWI is working towards national certification, following which the company will seek to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization.
Meanwhile, Manager of Geological services at the GGMC, Mr. Gordon Nester described the collaboration as timely even as he too spoke of the need to archive data for future generations.
Commending GWI for its successes in providing potable water to Guyanese, he said that Guyana has a young population of professionals who lack training in drilling techniques. According to him, GGMC is particularly interested in still home technology.
Mr. Nester informed that his agency is currently mapping the entire country in terms of Geology and Geochemistry and would therefore have background information on sediments and multi-elements analysis. This, he said, is a possible area of collaboration, whereby GWI can do laboratory testing.
Following the presentation, a site visit was conducted by GWI to offer representatives from GGMC the opportunity to witness the reverse drilling methodology at the new well in Sophia.